Review of Suzume
If you read the plot of a girl with a guy who is a chair and thought Makoto Shinkai went too far over the edge (like I did), I assure you that he actually makes it work! Well, if you’re willing to meet him partway, anyway. It’s still no Your Name, but I think it still sits comfortably with Weathering With You. Surprisingly the chair actually has emotional meaning to it in the movie. Even if it didn’t, I ended up somehow not finding it too asinine to be distracting. There are actually other aspects of this movie that had that problem. How most of thefictional things are named/explained — and Suzume being able to get away with literally anything — require you to go into the film with some suspension of disbelief. You could say the same requirement could be needed for Suzume’s relationship with Souta. Granted, they do develop a great relationship, but what they’re willing to go through for one another when things get intense feels unearned.
As an aside, Souta being the chair actually doesn’t really add much to the movie. Everything could’ve happened with Souta as a human and very few chair quirks would be missed. It’s…kinda disappointing actually! I was at least hoping for a lot of creative ideas that utilized a sentient chair considering the movie’s premise.
Still, this movie is about a spontaneous grand journey across Japan that’s very fun! A little thing I liked a lot is how social media is used to figure out where to go next. The weird, supernatural aspects of the movie might be silly at times, but overall they’re interesting and whimsical. Suzume herself has a great personality and backstory, and Souta’s helpfulness and determination warmed me up to him pretty quickly. The supporting cast isn’t as good as the ones in other Makoto Shinkai films, but the friendliness from the people they meet still makes them pleasant people.
As a movie with some fantasy elements, Suzume isn’t too special. But it’s still a fun and interesting adventure that I can easily recommend if you don’t try to take it too seriously.